Bexar County Jail Gang Violence

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Bexar County Jail Gang Warfare

• Bexar County Jail in San Antonio, Texas faces a significant problem with gang violence.
• Gang members have turned the jail into a battleground.
• Rival gangs engage in power struggles that pushes inmates to the edge.
• Inmates caught in the crossfire can be severely injured.
• Injuries include fractured skulls, broken arms, and broken ribs.
• Officers struggle to maintain control amidst the volatility.
• The authorities use informants from within the gangs to understand their plans.
• Inmates who break the gang's code of silence must remain anonymous.

Mexican Mafia

• A Mexican Mafia informant, code-named Teardrop, shares his experiences.
• The Mexican Mafia was glamorous, with parties, clubs, money, and weapons.
• Aspiring members must commit attempted murder or murder.
• Teardrop has carried out many hits with tanks and firearms
• For 30 years, the Mexican Mafia (also known as ME or Las Letras) has dominated San Antonio street crime.
• The Mexican Mafia has a written constitution outlining illegal activities, including murder, contract killings, extortion, drugs, and prostitution.

Tango Orejon

• The Tango Orejon is a splinter group that has risen to prominence in the past decade.
• Inmates used to do the dirty work for the Mexican Mafia, but now they want to control the jail.
• The Tango Orejon is rapidly growing with over 700 confirmed members currently in the jail.
• Membership is projected to exceed 1000 by next year.

Tango Orejon Origins and Characteristics

• Informant Peyaso, from the Tango Orejon gang, began as a foot soldier in the Mexican Mafia.
• Peyaso joined the Tango while incarcerated at 16 for aggravated assault.
• The Tango Orejon used to be under the Mexican Mafia's control.
• 10 years ago, the Tango Orejon decided to split off from the Mexican Mafia, resulting in war before they successfully broke away.
• The Tango Orejon members are increasingly young and aggressive, resisting authority, making them highly dangerous.

Jail Segregation Strategy

• To manage the growing gang problem, the jail segregates rival gangs into separate pods across six floors.
• Segregation aims to minimize problems, contain gangs, and understand them better.
• Identifying new arrivals' gang affiliations can be challenging.

Jose Angel Santos' Attempt to Leave the Gang

• Jose Angel Santos, a Tango Orejon member, seeks to leave gang life.
• Santos wishes to leave gang life due to witnessing disturbing events and disliking the lifestyle.
• Leaving the Orejon typically involves enduring a beating from two to three members for two to five minutes.
• Despite multiple beatings, the attacks on Jose have continued due to his ex-member status.
• A 5-time offender recently arrested on drug charges, Jose is disheartened to be back in intake.

Jail Emergency Response

• A "code 2" signifies an officer requiring assistance, typically for inmate fights.
• The CERT (Correctional Emergency Response Team) is a SWAT team deployed within the jail
• CERT aims to arrive at the scene within 90 seconds to prevent serious harm.
• Tango Orejon members attacked one of their own over a perceived disrespect towards officers.
• The team was developed to respond in an organized and trained manner when chaos arises.
• If an inmate becomes violent during extraction, the CERT team is prepared to use force.

Sergeant Avila's Role

• Sergeant Avila, leading the SRT unit, acknowledges the jail's violence.
• Avila supervises the second floor, housing Mafia and Orejon members, managing almost a thousand inmates.
• 8 out of 12 units are under lockdown, restricting inmates to one hour outside their cells daily.
• The Tango Orejon are the biggest issue for Avila on the second floor, due to having no rules or laws.

Tango Orejon Dynamics

• Orejon members gather to discuss plans, only communicating to the media as a group.
• The unit was opened about a month ago exclusively for Orejon members, following issues with the Mexican Mafia.
• Tango Orejon operates by consensus, acting independently without leaders or a gang structure.
• The Orejon prioritize assaulting Mexican Mafia members throughout the jail.
• Orejon members are to attack on sight in any area of the jail.

Mexican Mafia Members Seeking to Leave

• Mike and Alfonso, long-time Mexican Mafia members, want to leave the gang and their past.
• The Mexican Mafia is highly structured, operating as a criminal enterprise involved in drugs, extortion, and murder.
• Members are expected to follow orders without question, facing consequences for disobedience.
• The Mafia profits from extortion, drugs, and murder-for-hire, yielding significant weekly income.
• Perks of membership come at the cost of executing killings ("green lights") when instructed.
• Mike and Alfonso became disillusioned with the Mafia after witnessing the deaths of their friends.
• Leaving the Mexican Mafia is virtually impossible, with death being the only escape.
• The Mexican Mafia's symbol of a two-headed serpent represents "blood in, blood out."
• To join, a member must commit violence, and to leave, they will be murdered.
• Mike and Alfonso are in a special unit for ex-Mafia members but remain in danger.

Shakedown in the Orejon Unit

• Officers conduct a shakedown in the Orejon unit to seek contraband.
• Strip searches are conducted thoroughly during the shakedown
• The goal is to find weapons, drugs, and escape plans, and suppress such activities in the jail.
• During cell searches, the CERT team creates a mess while searching for contraband.
• A homemade tattoo ring was found, commonly concealed in ramen noodles.
• Jailhouse tattoos are used for gang identification.
• Orejon tattoos include the "210" or "spur," symbols of San Antonio's area code or basketball team.
• Mafia tattoos often depict Aztec gods, two-headed snakes, and the letter "M" (Las Letras).

Jose Angel Santos' Suicide Attempt

• Jose Angel Santos threatens self-harm due to traumatic experiences.
• Santos confides in officers about prior trauma, including witnessing a suicide.
• Officers discover that Jose attempted to hang himself before their arrival.
• Jose, struggling with anxiety and depression, recounts past suicide attempts.
• In a previous attempt, he tried to hang himself, but a flimsy sheet tore and saved his life.
• Officers decide to send Jose to mental health services for evaluation and support.

Inmate's Deception Unveiled

• An inmate, previously identified as an ex-Mafia member, reveals he is still an active prospect.
• The inmate was ordered by the Mafia to kill one of the ex-members.
• The hit was meant to show loyalty to the Mexican Mafia.
• The inmate states, giving up on the murder would have progressed him to prospect
• Giving up his gangster murder would just be the price you pay to show your loyalty to the Mexican Mafia
• He is now incarcerated in Pennsylvania.
• After failing to commit the hit, the inmate wants to return to the active Mafia unit.

Collateral damage

• Collateral damage is the result of Gang members confined to cells for 23 hours a day due to gang activity lose control.

Placement in Homosexual Pod

• Jose is placed in the homosexual pod after his suicide attempt due to lack of options.
• Due to his gang history, Jose is seen at risk in general population and cannot be housed with other gangs.
• Protective custody is not seen as an option as it may label him as a snitch.
• Homosexual pod is chosen as a place he might be safe

Revelation of Betrayal

• In the special pod, ex-gang members have united for protection.
• Alfonso learns his cellmate was ordered to kill him, but refused.
• The intention was to eliminate Alfonso due to false accusations of being an informant.
• The former gang member saved Alfonso, proving betrayal within the Mafia.

Violent Incident

• Tensions escalate, leading to a brutal beating of an inmate by Tango Orejon members.
• The Orejon suspected the victim of being a Mexican Mafia member, triggering the assault.
• In fact, no one knew his real gang affiliation.
• The victim is hospitalized, and the instigators are placed in solitary confinement.
• The Orejon believe they can act without consequences but face repercussions.

Reflections and Realizations

• The ex-Mexican Mafia members are aware that this type of style leads to prison or death.
• Joining a gang starts out as joining a brotherhood, but ends up with those members coming after them
• Prisoners come to realization of what people kill for, stating things can be petty.
• Many are killed to cover their asses, even if they were told to kill someone else, and end up being killed.

Jose's Reflections on Bisexuality

• Jose is trying to keep a low profile in the homosexual pod.
• Jose acknowledges his bisexuality.
• Jose sees the place as a live soap opera due to all the screaming and hollering.
• Still unnerved, Jose does not know what the future holds.
• Jose has no directions as far as where he stand
• Jose does not plan for the future due to things not going according to plane

New Beginnings

• Despite always looking over their shoulders, the ex-Mafia members are making a new start.
• Members are now being themselves, no longer have to answer to nobody
• Old actions were foolish, but the new ways are being a real man.

The Unending Cycle

• For every inmate leaving the gang, more are joining, and the Tango Orejon shows no signs of stopping.
• The youngsters are going wild, meaning they can be their own, even if it takes war.
• Officer Rodriguez can only combat gang problems, but understands that they will never go away.
• Gangs are like cancer, it will grow and grow, and there is no stopping it.